NIT Surathkal and NIT Warangal are both top NITs. 

IT and CSE are both related to tech and computers. Both these branches offer equal opportunities. Also, the curriculum is the same for both. NITW is placed 21st in the 2023 NIRF engineering rankings. On the other hand, NITK is placed 12th. 

The placements offered at both these colleges are pretty good. During 2023 placements at NITW, B.Tech CSE students recorded 99.4% placement. The average package stood at INR 30.5 LPA, and the highest package stood at INR 88 LPA for B.Tech CSE. As for NITK, last year the IT department achieved the highest package of INR 45 LPA.

Thus, both options are equally good. So you can go for either IT at NITK or CSE at NITW.

In my opinion, IT at DTU is a far better option than IT at NIT Surathkal. Here are some strong points in favor of my opinion

• DTU has a better and more updated curriculum that meets the recent trends in the industry. 
• The quality of the professors varies everywhere. At DTU, you can find your mentor and seek his assistance constantly.
• Infrastructure-wise both institutes are equally good with well-equipped modern labs.
• DTU is a premiere, old, and reputed college located in the capital of India. Its location makes it one of the best engineering colleges in India.
• In DTU you will be exposed to a better crowd in terms of intellect. Some will be introverts while some will be leaders. Some will perform below average while some will be exceptionally good. 
• Being in close proximity to IT hubs Gurgaon and Noida, DTU students are better exposed to internship and job opportunities.

While both institutes are quite well-known, choosing DTU might open better opportunities because of its prime location and rich legacy.

It’s difficult to determine which institute is better because the courses in the question are different. However, if a choice has to be made between the two colleges, one can look at the different criteria.

NIT Allahabad (Information Technology):

The college was ranked at 48 out of the 300 engineering colleges in India. The duration of the course Information Technology is 4 years. The course structure in NIT Allahabad is more or less the same as compared to other NITs.

Admission:

• Students should pass 10+2 exams with at least 75% marks in the science stream in order to be eligible.
• The admission is through JEE Mains. In 2019 the closing cutoff for IT was 5595 (other states), and 6316 (home state).

Placements:

• There were a total of 90 students out of which 85 students were placed.
• Some of the top recruiters who gave jobs were Adobe, Google, Accenture, Amazon, Dell, Cisco, Motorola, Infosys, IBM, and Hero Honda.
• The average CTC and the maximum CTC that was acquired by the students of IT are 12.96 LPA and 39 LPA.

NIT Surathkal (Mechanical Engineering):

The college was Ranked 21st by NIRF in Engineering colleges 2019.

Admission:

• The admission for the program mechanical engineering is done on the basis of marks acquired in 10+2 or similar also JEE exam. The final selection for the student will be done by JOSS counseling.
• For a student to be eligible for the college they need to get 75% of marks in the science stream. For SC and ST students the required aggregate is 65%.
• In 2019 the closing cutoff for Mechanical Engineering was 8980 (other states), and 14895 (home state).

Placements:

The college is known for its placements, in the year 2019, the college provided 100% placement.

• Around 60 companies visited the campus to provide placements to the mechanical engineering students.
• Some of the top recruiters included Honeywell, Axis Bank, Myntra Logistics, Amazon, McAfee, Samsung, R&D, HSBC technology, Wells Fargo, Microsoft, Byjus, City Bank, Oyo, Epsilon India, Wipro India, Walmart, and Snap lab.
• The highest and average CTC received by the students were 39 LPA and 14.5 LPA.

Therefore, if a college has to be chosen between two, one can look at the above parameters.

It’s difficult to determine which institute is better as the courses in question are different. However, given below are information about the two courses which may help you make the decision.

NIT Surathkal:

NIT Surathkal is among the oldest of the NIT’s and the college has an amazing faculty for Mechanical Engineering most of the teachers that are in NIT Surathkal have acquired Ph.D. degrees and a minimum teaching average of 2 years.

Admission:

• The admission to the BTech Mechanical Engineering at the institute is through JEE Mains.
• In 2019 the closing JEE Main cutoff for Mechanical Engineering was 8980 (other states) and 14895 (home state).
• The first-year course fees are 1.53 lakhs.

Placement:

• Some of the top recruiters that come to the college include Honeywell, Axis Bank, Myntra Logistics, Amazon, McAfee, Samsung r&d, HSBC technology, Wells Fargo, Microsoft, Byjus, City Bank, Oyo, Epsilon India, Wipro India, Walmart, Snap lab.
• The average and highest CTC offered to the students were 14.5 LPA and 39 LPA respectively.

ICT Mumbai:

The engineering department of ICT Mumbai consists of 134 accomplished faculty members. All but four of them hold PhDs. The faculty of ICT Mumbai is highly qualified and is alumni of reputed institutions.

Admission:

• BTech Chemical Engineering admission is through JEE Mains.
• In 2019 the required cutoff for Chemical Engineering was 429.
• The first-year course fees are INR 85,350.

Placement:

• The highest CTC received by the students was 14 LPA, while the average CTC was 3.5 LPA.
• Some of the top recruiters that come to the college include Dow chemical, ExxonMobil India, Seltzer pumps India ltd.

Therefore, if a student has to choose a college they can look up to the criteria mentioned above.

I have friends in both the institutes namely NIT Surathkal and NIT Rourkela. Comparing the reviews I got from them NIT Rourkela seems to be a better option than NIT Surathkal. The primary reason is that its location in the Orissa-Jhansi belt improves the quality of core placements. The faculty however is the same everywhere so that point isn't comparable. Honestly speaking, Metaullurty is a risky branch irrespective of whichever NIT you are getting unless it's an IIT. So, I will advise you to go for CS in new IIIts rather than Metallurgy in top NITs. 

It's illogical to go for a risky branch just for the NIT tag because, in the end, it's your branch that opens doors for opportunities and shapes your career.

So, choose wisely!

The answer to this question is very subjective. On one hand, you are getting a top-notch branch at a not-so-celebrated college, on the other, a top NIT is offering a mediocre branch. Your interest matters as much in this situation.

As a student of Metallurgy at NIT Surathkal, I can shed some light on this option. The branch has a small strength of around 38-40 students in each batch. Your peers will be very supportive people. The faculty for metallurgy is experienced, learned, and supportive. Metallurgy, in fact, is one of the most student-friendly branches of NIT Surathkal. The professors are always there to solve any doubts and queries of their students. 

As for the curriculum, the majority of it revolves around steel and its properties, ceramics, polymers, etc. With an interest in your branch, the curriculum is quite easy to get through. The placements are good, and maximum students are offered jobs on campus. The average package isn’t too high for this branch. This is because core profiles don’t offer more than 3-9 LPA. You can expect a bit higher packages in non-core job profiles. NITK is a highly esteemed institution, for this reason, a wide range of companies visit the campus during the placement season. The crowd at NITK is very friendly, and the Metallurgy branch has some amazing seniors.

I have provided you with all the relevant information about the Metallurgy branch at NIT Surathkal. Try to reach out to some seniors from COEP IT branch. Make your decision based on what matters the most to you- college name, branch, or your own interest.

One of my friends recently took a drop year just to get BITS Goa. It has always been his dream college and he is glad he left NIT for BITS Goa. Several factors combined helped him take this bold step. I have mentioned the core reasons below

• Reputation: NIT Surathkal is considered among the top 3 NITs and is a very old institute. However, NTs are not at par with BITS in terms of reputation. Some might claim that BITS Goa is a new college but in reality, it's just an extension of the main campus.
• Value of Degree: BITS Goa awards a BITS Pilani degree which is highly valued and not a BITS Goa degree.
• Faculty: From what I have heard, NIT Surathkal Chemical Engineering faculty is worse than NIT Warangal and NIT Trichy. Most of the professors are inexperienced and unprofessional. In BITS, however, frequent faculty exchanges take place across campus. So, the faculty is common for all three campuses. There are even lectures from faculties of different campuses through a program called BITSS Connect. 
• Peer group: BITS has a very intellectual and refined crowd much better than NITs mainly because the college has no reservations policy, unlike NITs where seats are reserved by various quotas.
• Placements: Core placements for branches like Chemical are almost the same everywhere. Usually, packages depend on your skills and the reputation of the college. Since BITS has a better brand value, it attracts better packages and recruiters. Additionally, BITS provides internship opportunities to its students called the practice school. 
• Academics:  BITS has a well-structured curriculum and a flexible campus life. There is a zero attendance policy however the tutorials in the class lectures form a part of the GPA. The best part here is the flexibility to choose your own courses and even timetable at your convenience. NITs lack such facilities and lack academic flexibility as well.

I think these points summarize well the fact that BITS Pilani is a far better choice than NIT Surathkal.